James H. Cagle
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1: 1 KJV).
Words are the vehicles we use to communicate our ideas to others. With words our private thoughts are released into the public domain with the power to do good or evil.
Words rule the world. “The pen is mightier than the sword.” With words world leaders persuade their people to war and violence or peace. With words philosophies are given to the people and revolutions take place that they might change their society and live the ideal.
Words are used for spreading the truth and for spreading a lie. A man cannot speak the truth without words. A man cannot tell a lie without words.
With words we take a private thought that’s invisible to everyone and make it public and visible and comprehensible for all. Words give body to our spiritual thoughts. Words are what we use to say what we think. With words our thoughts and feelings receive wings and take flight. Some thoughts we keep wordless, flightless, and caged.
We learn words in order to have a vocabulary and communicate well with others. If we have something to say we will improve our vocabulary to better articulate our message and persuade others to act in line with our words. In this manner we get people to think and act as we want them to.
Jesus Christ is called the “Word.” Though Jesus Christ is God, He is the only one in the Godhead who is called the “Word.” Jesus Christ is called the “Word” because He is the “image,” the public visible comprehensible expression of the invisible God. The people had lost their true concept of what God was like, and Jesus came to earth to restore it.
General revelation, which is God revealing Himself through nature, history, and the conscience, was not a complete revelation, and was a little vague, because God is much more than general revelation reveals.
Special and final revelation of God came through Jesus Christ the “Word,” the “express image of his (God’s) person.” When God wanted to reveal His Person to us He sent Jesus, and He revealed to us a holy, loving, forgiving, saving, and yes, judging God. Jesus did say, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” And we see this in the Word.
